The wrong side of the track
by taz.kelly
Summary: he always hated mudbloods, always believed that following lord voldemort would get rid of all the filthy blood. how wrong he was...
1. prologue

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot – if there is a plot.

This is another think-as-I-type fic so I'm not sure about the plot. I'm going to try and make this a chaptered story so wish me luck. Oh and I read book 5 when I was like 12, book 6 a few years later and book 7 when I was 16. I'm almost 19 now and my memory is terrible so this will seem canon at first, but it isn't. AU people! This is fan fiction after all.

**Prologue**

He just couldn't believe it. They were being out-smarted by six teenagers who were trembling in fear just moments ago. They had the upper hand in the situation, being more experienced AND being death eaters and all. Potter wasn't expecting it to be a trap. So how? What just happened here? How did they get away? Oh yes, it was that mudblood; always the clever one. How could someone like her - someone with filthy muggle blood – how could she be such a talented witch? How can she best his son, a pureblood, at everything? How could she be besting him right now? She was what, sixteen? She was filth, a disease in the magical world. She was nothing.

The death eaters raced after the six teenagers, sending curses in every direction, but they seemed to have split up.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sending every hex they had learnt towards the death eaters who had managed to escape the room they had been locked into. It wasn't looking good. They were throwing hexes at the death eaters, hexes which would wear off eventually, but the death eaters were throwing deadly curses and it was all they could do to avoid being hit. They were inexperienced and out-numbered. Harry felt foolish for leading his friends into this trap.

Duelling potter and his friends was easy. It seemed the mudblood was dead. The Weasley boy was also nowhere to be seen. What were they thinking? Did they actually think they would win?

The death eaters had the upper hand once again. It was fun torturing them, watching their defiant faces. That fun soon came to an end when the Order arrived. Now they had to fight seriously. These were aurors, fighting dark wizards and witches was what they did for a living.

Dumbledore arrived. He knew it was over the second he tried to escape. They were caught. The dark lord would not be pleased with this.

Azkaban was a horrible place. He was a horrible person, but this prison, it was beyond horrible. He felt helpless without his wand. He was almost one of those who claimed to be under the imperius curse, but caught himself just in time. The dark lord would not be pleased with such disloyalty. He shuddered to think what his master would've done to him if he had. The prisoners were insane, the ones in the cells next to his. His fellow death eaters were all separated and so he sat counting down the days to when the dark lord would free them all. He could feel himself weakening each day, but he knew the dark lord would come for his most loyal servants.

It was after the dark lord had rescued them when he started having doubts. His son was given a mission to kill Dumbledore. He knew Draco wouldn't be able to do it. His master knew he wouldn't be able to do it. His master planned to kill his son if he failed. This wasn't something he had wanted for his son. The boy was only sixteen, he was afraid. He shouldn't be doing this. But defying the dark lord would result in death.

His son had managed to get all the death eaters into the school. Snape killed Dumbledore and escaped with his son. He fought against the order once again and was shocked to see the mudblood there, fighting fiercely. Wasn't she dead? She was like a cockroach! He hated mudbloods, especially her.

He saw her again several months later after she was captured together with Potter and Weasley. They were brought to Malfoy mansion and imprisoned. She was tortured while her friends were locked in the basement. Her screams were like music to his ears. He would finally be rid of her.

He saw her glance in Draco's direction as if pleading for help. His son just stared at her with a frightened look on his face. There was a commotion and spells went flying in every direction, Potter and Weasley had managed to escape. This wasn't good.

They escaped. They had bested them again. They would pay dearly.

The battle was fought at Hogwarts. The dark lord lured Potter out and killed him. It was easy. Did that boy actually think he could beat the dark lord?

It was when their attention was on their opponents. No one saw what happened. Harry Potter's body was gone. He was still alive and all hope was restored to the Light side.

Narcissa, his wife, was tortured and killed by his master. She had helped Potter escape. They still had the upper hand with their numbers, but that was it. He wouldn't be afraid anymore. This was not what he had had in mind when he joined lord voldemort. It took his wife's death to make him realise that he was a slave and that he was disposable. But voldemort had taken his wand, he was helpless. He couldn't do anything without his wand. Bodies littered the ground all around them, this was his chance - he would take a wand from one of the fallen. With that in mind he quickly moved to the nearest wand he could see and picked it up. He pointed it at the nearest death eaters, sending powerful curses. He wouldn't use the killing curse, no point in becoming a murderer. It was true, he was a terrible man, but despite what everyone believed, he had never killed anyone. He had attempted to, but never did.

He watched as the golden trio and their friends stopped fighting to watch in confusion as he took out his fellow death eaters. It was easy, they weren't prepared for it. The fighting continued after the confusion had lifted. He kept throwing curses, unaware that they weren't as effective since he was using someone else's wand. It was a few minutes later that realised just how foolish it was to betray the dark side in such a way, when a curse hit him with such force that he was thrown backwards. Pain shot through his chest as his own blood pooled around him. He didn't know it, but his moment of foolishness was what Potter needed; a distraction. He felt a heavy thump on the ground beside him and turned his head slightly to see the severed head of voldemort's snake. Now the final step was to strike voldemort himself. His vision blurred. This was it... at least he'd die knowing he did what was right.

So that's the sucky prologue. Please leave a review, I'd love to know what you think, though, I know this wasn't very good. The first chapter will be better I promise ^-^


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **is it really necessary to repeat this? I DO NOT OWN THIS AND I NEVER WILL. So stop worrying, jeez!

Okay so this is the first chapter. Please note that some dead characters are not dead in this fic. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

Voices. He was dead, so why was he hearing voices? Two people, they were near him. By the sounds of their voices he could tell they were female. One was still very young, maybe in her late teens, the other sounded middle-aged. Why were they there? Their voices weren't familiar, so why were they near him? People avoided death eaters and in his case, former death eaters. Something soft touched his chest and pain shot through him once again. Why was he feeling? Wasn't he in oblivion?

"I think he got hit by the sectumsempra curse... might leave a scar," Hermione said mostly to herself. Mrs Weasley had been with her a few moments ago to inform her that lunch was ready and left immediately after. Everyone was stressed out and irritable. Voldemort had escaped when he realised his last horcrux was destroyed. He was still alive and that meant the war wasn't over. The fact that she had brought a death eater home with her didn't lighten the mood at all. They had all seen him fight for them, but it didn't right all his wrongs. They wanted to leave him there to die, but she had refused. She had told them that he deserved a chance, told them that they shouldn't judge people for what they had done in the past, but what they did to right those wrongs, told them that they would be no better than death eaters if they left him. They reluctantly agreed to help him, but taking care of him would be her job; not even Mrs Weasley offered her help. She could understand how they felt; she felt the same, but she could put those feelings aside. She would never kill anyone, she had no right to take any life and if she had left him when she could save him then she would be a killer, even if it's indirectly she'd still be the cause of his death.

She dabbed at the wound again. He had been unconscious for a week now and she would come to check on him every hour or so, sometimes spending the entire day in his room with a good book. The tension in the house was just too thick and she had a feeling that her presence downstairs just thickened it further. Ginny would talk to her, but it wasn't the same. It was like she was trying her best to accept Hermione's decision. Hermione was grateful for her effort, it was more then her two best friends had done. Ron would always start yelling at her and Harry flat-out ignored her.

She noticed that his body would tense whenever she dabbed his wound. This must've been a serious curse. She had only heard a brief description from Harry the previous year. He was paler than normal and he was losing weight. She hoped he'd wake up soon. He would die without nourishment. This wasn't a muggle hospital where nutrition wasn't a problem. They weren't in St. Mungo's either, they were in a room at the headquarters of the Order. All she could do was force potions down his throat and apply ointment to his wound. She didn't know why, but she was really worried about the man that lay before her. He was always horrible to her, always insulting her heritage, he watched as she was tortured with a smirk on his face; but if he was perfect then he wouldn't be human. Everyone had their flaws, his were just a bit over the edge and not normal in any way.

The room quieted down when she entered. Were they just talking about her? She didn't really care. She grabbed a tray from the table and piled it with sandwiches, a glass and a jug of pumpkin juice. She wouldn't have to come down for a snack later. Ignoring all the looks they sent her way, she carefully made her way back up to her patient's room.

He had woken up to an empty room. So he was alive. He could hear people talking somewhere below him. The talking came to an abrupt end for some reason. He wondered why. The door opened a few minutes later and a girl entered with a tray laden with a mountain of sandwiches and a jug of pumpkin juice. There was only one glass, was she going to eat all of that by herself? She looked rather petite. He watched as she sat the tray down and took a sandwich, sighing as she swallowed her first bite. It was the mudblood he noticed. What was she doing here? Was he a prisoner? Wouldn't they have rather left him there instead of going through all this trouble?

"You're awake," she said solemnly. "Are you hungry? I can go and make you some soup." She didn't wait for a reply as she stood from her seat and briskly walked out. He wondered why she was being civil toward him. He was never nice to her. She had every reason to hex him into nothingness. He was bedridden; it would be her perfect chance.

Hermione entered the room half an hour later with another tray, this one holding a bowl of soup, a glass and a jug of water.

"They are aware that you have awoken. You will be questioned when you are well," she said and placed the tray on the bedside table. She poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice and had another sandwich. His cold grey eyes watched her intently. Was this a trick? He wouldn't touch that food.

"You have to eat, Mr Malfoy. You've been unconscious for a week," she said in that solemn tone again. She had expected him to act like this. The wealthy, pure-blooded Mr Malfoy was too good to eat food prepared by a mudblood. What, did he think she poisoned it or something? She sighed in frustration when he didn't make a move."If you don't start eating now then I'm going to feed you." She almost laughed at his wide eyed expression, but realised that she might really have to feed him. He looked very weak. He picked up the spoon hesitantly, why was she watching him eat? It was unsettling. He wasn't used to this.

"Why did you bring me here?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"You helped us, so I helped you. But one shouldn't have a reason to help another," she replied, taking another bite from her sandwich. Hmmm, he seemed rather out of character. No 'filthy mudblood'? That's a first. She watched him as he struggled to keep the spoon steady, she could tell he was humiliated. "I'll go and run the bath while you eat. You haven't had one in a week." She entered the joint bathroom and closed the door behind her. The bathroom was average, nothing a Malfoy was used to, but he had no choice in the matter. She turned on the water and watched it run, lost in her thoughts. The tub only took a few minutes to fill and she closed the taps when she was satisfied with the temperature of the water. She walked back into the room just as the soup bowl crashed to the floor. Harry had her patient at the neck.

"You should thank Hermione for helping you. We would've left you to bleed to death," Harry said venomously.

"Harry, leave now!" Hermione commanded with her wand pointed at him. He pushed her patient back with force and left. She looked at him quizzically for a moment then realised that his arms were bound to his sides and his legs together. She performed the counter curse and cleaned up the mess. "I'll fetch you some more soup after your bath."

He was a proud man, she knew, but pride alone wasn't going to get him to the bathroom before Christmas. He refused her help every time she offered, glaring daggers whenever her hand came too close. She finally became too frustrated and grabbed his arm, half dragging him to the bathroom and leaving him there. Now she could get back to the book she had been reading before he woke.

He opened the bathroom door half an hour later and stumbled out. She rushed to his side and helped him back to his bed. He was wearing the clean pyjama pants she had left for him. She reached for the ointment on the table.

"Don't touch me," he said glaring at her.

"Please Mr Malfoy, I have to apply the ointment to help your wound heal," she said and bound his body again. He glared at her, it was all he could to while she spread the ointment over his wound. The pain was unbearable every time she touched the wound. She could feel his muscles tense. She handed him a potion for the pain after freeing his limbs and fetched some more soup as she had promised.

Okie dokie so that's chapter one, hope you enjoyed reading it. Please leave a review, your feedback is really appreciated and will help me improve.

Before anyone says that Lucius Malfoy is out of character, I know he is, but keep in mind we only know _so_ much about him. He'll obviously be more mature than his son so he wouldn't be as dramatic as Draco would be in his situation. If any other characters are a bit ooc it's because they have to be like that for my story. If they are _too_ ooc then please tell me so I can fix it.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **here we go again… I do not own harry potter, but I do own the non-existent plot of this fic.

This is a Lucius/Hermione fic in case you haven't caught on yet. I just want to say that, yes, this is crack and creepy BUT I like crack. If you don't then why are you here?

**Chapter 2**

There she was, sitting cross-legged with a scowl on her face, her friends sitting opposite her. She was glad that they finally cooled down, but she knew they were still wary of her patient. She had stormed out of his room after checking up on him. His wound was healing very slowly, but he had regained his strength and was giving her hell. No one would go near him, not because they were afraid; they just thought he should at least suffer a bit of pain. Mrs Weasley could patch him up with magic after all, but they had all agreed that they would make his stay as uncomfortable as possible. So he was grumpy and rude, refusing Hermione's help.

"I told you, Hermione. Once a Malfoy always Malfoy," Ron said.

"Ugh, Ronald!" she said in exasperation. They had been telling her how horrible Malfoys were, how she should treat him the way he treats her. They were just going on and on about how she should just not give him supper. He wasn't allowed downstairs so he would starve to death and that would really make them happy. Even Hermione herself wondered why she had bothered to save that man. At the time it was the right thing to do, but now she wondered if it was worth it. He was just impossible. She told them that it was alright to leave him on his own for longer now, said he was much healthier. She didn't mention how he would insult her; she didn't mention that she felt hurt, that what he said was really getting to her. She wouldn't tell them that she regretted her decision now. This was a challenge and she'd see it through no matter what. She refused to hear their smug voices saying 'I told you so'.

He sat up in bed reading the Daily Prophet. The mudblood had left it on his bedside table. He just couldn't understand why SHE had to take care of him. All he saw was HER face each day, HER bushy brown hair. Why couldn't someone else tend to him? Why leave him with an incompetent mudblood. She wasn't very good at her job, treating him the way muggle a muggle would a patient. He suddenly remembered that she was the only one willing to help him. She had said that she didn't need a reason to help him.

"Mr Malfoy," Hermione said standing at the door with a tray in her hands. "I was told not to bring you your supper this evening. My friends would really love to see you starve."

"Oh, your friends? I bet you'd love to see that too, wouldn't you? Filthy mudblood," he said sneering at her. Who did she think she was to talk to him like that?

"You treat me like a dog after helping you. How would you like being treated that way?" she said, anger etched onto her face. She walked to his bedside and dropped the tray to the floor. "There's your food, dog." He glared daggers through her back as she left his room. He did not expect that.

He sat up for hours. Wasn't she coming back? She usually slept on the couch against the wall. Would she really leave him? He couldn't leave his room because of the barrier they put up especially for him. He regretted being so rude and insulting. He was helpless, yet she never took advantage of that.

"I'm sorry," he heard and looked up to see her at the door again with another tray of food. She walked over to him and sat it on the table before cleaning the mess she had made earlier. He would've hugged her and apologised for his behaviour if he was anyone else, but he was a Malfoy and greeted her with a sneer. To say that he was surprised was an understatement. He couldn't believe it. Draco had told him how dedicated she was to her friends, how she would stand by Potter and help him through every rough patch no matter how dangerous the situation was. He'd tell him how insufferable she was, how the obstacles the golden trio faced and conquered each year was because of her. He had told him this after he had received his mission from voldemort. She was a threat.

He wasn't her friend, so why would she treat him as one? He didn't understand her. Well, he understood she was a compassionate person, but he couldn't understand why. After all she had seen and experienced she still had so much compassion.

"Professor McGonagall and Professor Lupin will question you tomorrow. You will be answering under Veritaserum..." she said trailing off. "Why did you betray voldemort?" she asked after a long pause.

"Power has gone to his head. He has forgotten his cause," was all he said. He didn't think it was necessary to tell her about his wife. He loved her, but not as a husband loves his wife. She was just a companion, someone he learnt to tolerate over time. It was a marriage of convenience. She was chosen for him. He did love her; she was Draco's mother after all. Her death just didn't have as great an impact on him as he thought it would. What had an impact on him was the fact that even though she was a pureblood voldemort had killed her – in front of him.

"I see," was all she said in return. Was she going to accept that vague answer? He thought she'd press him for more details. Or maybe she'd just wait until tomorrow.

He watched as she made herself comfortable on the sofa. He knew it was extremely comfortable to sleep on. He had fallen asleep on it while reading once; glad to have woken up before she came back. She would always turn her back to him when she slept.

Morning came too soon. Hermione rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower before her patient woke. It was something she did everyday. She would take a shower and then head downstairs to get some breakfast. He would always be in the shower when she returned and she would wait patiently. He always dressed in the shower, able to take care of himself now. She would always argue that his bandages weren't wrapped properly and he would insult her. It was a routine. Today was different though. He walked straight towards her and handed her the bandages. She took it slowly, wondering what was wrong with him and then started to wrap it around his upper body. Did he finally come to his senses?

"Are you a spy for lord voldemort?" Remus Lupin asked. The interrogation had begun. All the older Order members surrounded him with Hermione sitting silently on the couch. She had been allowed to stay for obvious reasons.

"No," was his simple answer. He was under the influence of Veritaserum and could not lie, but it didn't matter; he had no intention of lying. He answered every question truthfully. Hermione wasn't surprised by his answers. He turned on the dark lord and was almost killed. It was clear that no one was going to help him after being hit with that curse and he didn't once try to attack her. She had her wand, but he could've easily over powered her if he wanted to. Well, she supposed people didn't always see things her way. Or maybe they just weren't as trusting. Did they think she was stupid? She wouldn't just trust anyone without reason. It was a time of war, she knew, but people could be so ignorant sometimes. She knew he wasn't an innocent man, but it was just so damn obvious he wasn't a threat after that stunt of his. Or was she just hoping she was right? He was an impossible person, but hey, she was an insufferable know-it-all. She knew he could change, definitely not overnight or in the near future, but he'd eventually become a better person. Leaving the dark side was the first step.

Satisfied with his answers, they all left, leaving Hermione alone with him once again. Professor McGonagall lingered at the door for a few moments to lift the barrier. It had been agreed that he would be allowed out of the room, but he still wasn't allowed a wand. His answers may have been truthful but trust had to be earned.

**Well that was chapter 2=) I know this is progressing very slowly. I'll try my best to jump to the better parts without rushing it. I suppose you could say this chapter and the previous are mostly based on the characters thoughts and opinions. Please leave a review, they really mean a lot to me.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **nope, not my property!

hey people! thanks so much for reviewing, you guys are awesome.

**Chapter 3**

Lucius Malfoy stepped into his room after spending the entire day in the backyard sitting under a tree. It was his new routine. He had been stuck inside for so long he didn't mind being bored in the yard, as long as he wasn't bored inside the house. He appreciated the fresh air for the first time in his life. He still wasn't allowed to any of the meetings and he could understand why. Hermione moved her stuff to Ginny's room. He was perfectly fine now, left with only a large scar across his chest. He didn't need any help anymore, but he couldn't help missing her company. She was still the only one who would speak to him. Well, the others would talk to him if he just stopped insulting everything and everyone. Typical Malfoy. Ron would never hesitate to hex him and Hermione would be the one to undo the damage, scolding him as if he were a child. That did irritate him, but he kept doing it anyway; it was in his nature. Besides, it was the only way to talk to her these days. He wasn't one to go looking for conversation.

He really wanted to do more, but they didn't trust him enough. How could he earn their trust? They didn't ask anything of him, all he did was waste away each day. He would watch everyone come and go, reporting their findings, staying for a bit while someone else headed out. He was just so BORED. He understood that they all hated his guts. He was really trying. He was Lucius Malfoy. He was arrogant and looked down on people, but he was trying. Why couldn't they just pretend to acknowledge his presence? That didn't even make sense as he thought it, but he was going insane.

"Harry, are you okay?" asked Hermione. They had been talking when he grabbed his head in pain. It was normal now.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt as much anymore. He's blocking me out, I can't tell what he's up to," Harry muttered. He hated the pain, but he endured it because it connected him to voldemort's thoughts. It was horrible to see, but it could be helpful. Now, he couldn't see anything. He knew voldemort was planning something, but he just couldn't break through the barrier which prevented him from learning anything. It was impossible. He doubted Lucius Malfoy would be any help, he could tell voldemort wasn't counting on him destroying all of his horcruxes or on Lucius' betrayal. It was an unexpected turn of events, but it had at least worked in their favour. Voldemort was a powerful opponent. Harry knew that, no matter what people said, he was no match for the dark wizard who had decades of experience – and he was pure evil. When he had told the DA in his fifth year that it was all luck he had meant it. He could boast that he was the best in his year when it came to Defence Against the Dark Arts, which was true; Hermione had even admitted that she was only second best. It was true, but that was all school work. He always had his friends by his side. They were always there to help him, but he had to face voldemort alone. He knew that and he was terrified at the thought. What if they lost the war? What if he failed them?

"I might have to go out there again... soon," Harry said, not meeting their eyes.

"You mean 'we'," Ron corrected.

"We're in this together, Harry," Hermione said with a small smile. "Don't push us away."

"Yeah mate. Why do we keep having to remind you? We're with you every step of the way," Ron added with a pat on the back. Harry couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Lucius watched as they snuck out, leaving a note behind. He wondered what they were up to. It wasn't safe for three teenagers opposing the dark lord. They would get caught – again. Did they even have a plan? Were they prepared for the worst? He knew they'd eventually figure something out, they always did; they were annoying like that, always foiling plans. The dark lord, he'd be expecting something like this. He knew how Potter's mind worked. Did these three teenagers... he shook his head. These people were turning him into a caring person.

A crashing sound coming from the hall interrupted his thoughts. The trio hurried out the back when they heard the sound, already knowing who it was.

"Sorry... I'm sorry," he heard. "You should really put these umbrella stands in a different place." He heard the person whining.

"Yes, well. At least we won't be hearing from Mrs Black," said another voice. Lucius sighed, he missed his own home. He missed his family. Where was Draco now? Was he safe? Lucius hoped with all his heart that his son left the dark lord and was somewhere safe.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The days went by slowly. All he did was sit outside or search through books for any useful information. That was all they had allowed him to do to help out. He missed her. He couldn't understand why the two boys would even consider taking her along. She could get hurt. She was a powerful witch, but he felt so bad knowing that she had saved him and he could do nothing to protect her.

Today was one of those rare days where he was given a somewhat useful job. He sat in his room reading through the many books littered on the floor and jotting down notes. Almost a month had passed since the trio had left, so he couldn't help grinning at the sound of Molly Weasley's angry voice. That meant that they had returned. Lucius made his way downstairs to see what all the commotion was about. There, cowering at the door was Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione's hair looked like a bird's nest with all the twigs stuck in it. There were a few scratches on her arms and her left cheek was bruised. The other two didn't look any better, but they didn't matter to him. How could they let that happen to her? She looked at him when she noticed him standing there and gave him a small smile. His heart leapt at that. He nodded and turned, heading back to his room, satisfied that she was indeed fine. He wanted to talk to her, to be in her company, but he knew she wouldn't want to. She didn't owe him anything; she had better things to do, she needed her friends and family; she did not need him.

Hermione stared at the spot where Lucius stood a few seconds ago and wondered what had just happened. She could not read minds, but that look on his face... to anyone else it would seem like his expression was the same as always, but she had spent so much time with him and could easily read him; even after almost a month without seeing him. Was he relieved that she was okay? Why did he care what happened to her? He had changed a lot during his stay, but he never actually showed that he cared about anyone. She felt herself being dragged up the stairs and snapped out of her thoughts. It was Ginny who had been pulling her with Harry and Ron following behind. They entered the boys' room and closed the door.

"So what happened?" Ginny asked.

"Well, we didn't find much. We know that voldemort is recruiting again, that's all," Harry said. "He's being careful this time."

Hermione left the room after Ginny was satisfied with their answers. She really needed a long hot shower. Maybe she could check on Mr Malfoy afterwards, she hadn't spoken to him in ages and she really needed a break from her friends.

Lucius' heart leapt again when he saw Hermione at the door. She had that small smile on her lips again as she entered and sat down on the floor near him. She picked up one of the books and paged through it. Was she here to talk to him? Was she really here just to 'hang out'?

"So, how have you been, Mr Malfoy?" she asked, her eyes not leaving the book.

"I've been better, but I guess I'm as good as I'll ever be," he replied.

"I see," she said. Her eyes never left the book as she spoke. Was she embarrassed about something? "Ron asked me to marry him... 'We might not live through this war' he said. Do you think I should?"

Lucius felt a pang in his heart. He didn't know why, but he didn't want her to marry the Weasley boy. Did he want to marry her? He was a man and she was a girl. She was young and beautiful and she was nothing that he deserved.

"Why are you talking to me about this?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Oh, well, I can't talk to anyone else," she blushed.

"Do what you want, it's your choice," he said. Those words were easy for him to say, but it hurt. Hermione sighed in response. She loved Ron with all her heart, but she loved Harry and Ginny just as much. They were her family. Could she marry Ron? Would it work out? She didn't know. Ron was like her brother since first year and sure, she had developed romantic feelings for him, but it wasn't serious. Times were hard and he was always by her side. Things have changed since then. She could understand why she felt that way then, but things went back to normal afterwards - for her anyways. Ron and her were just too different, that was why they always fought over silly things. But maybe, just maybe she should give it a try. Things would work out in the end. But then again, she was eighteen and nowhere near ready to get married... decisions, decisions.

"I guess I could avoid him for a while," she said. "Would you mind if I move back in?"

"It's your room, do what you want," was his reply. He was surprised. So she didn't mind his company? She was really confusing.

"Great! I love that couch," she said happily. Lucius jumped quickly, blocking her way to the couch. He had been sleeping on it ever since she had left. It was just so comfortable and he wasn't going to give it up so easily.

"No, you can have the bed, I insist," he said.

"That's okay," she smiled. She knew he wasn't just being a gentleman. That couch was like heaven and he wanted it. "I can't put you out of your bed now." She sidestepped him and ran to the couch, but he caught her and pulled her back as he ran forward. He felt like a stupid teenager, but he could've cared less at that moment. He dived for the couch, it was right there. Then he saw a yellow light flash past him, the couch moved and he crumpled to the floor. "Ha!" he heard her yell triumphantly. He looked up to see her sitting cross-legged on the couch with a smug look on her face. He cursed inwardly and scowled at her. She was making him act foolish. She was changing him. The least she could do for making him soft was to let him have the couch. Maybe he could claim the couch when she went down for dinner. He was always first to finish since nobody bothered to talk to him, not that he had anything to say to them anyway. She wouldn't find it suspicious if he left the dining hall quickly, it was what he always did. Yes, that would work. He grinned; he'd have the couch after all. He shook his head; his behaviour disturbed him very much. There was definitely something wrong with him.

**Yesh! Chapter 3 is done! Thank you for reading and please leave a review. I'm sorry for that last part though, just felt like having fun. Chapter 4 will not be uploaded soon, because I'm really busy with college and I'll be starting with my cosplay costume too. Hehe I'm going as Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII. She's just so awesome, hope I can get it done in time fore rAge. I'm not really good at making clothes so yeah wish me luck. I'm going to stop rambling now and leave you to review like I know you will ;)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I wish I owned this, but alas...

Yay me! Chapter 4 is finally up. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, added this story to their favourites and alerts; I feel so special 'coz I seriously thought no one would read my stories. Thank you all so much!

I'm really sorry for making you all wait, but I had some connection problems and when you're me you have a mother who loves to stall until the last minute.

**Chapter 4**

Lucius stood in a field of long grass which swayed in the breeze. In the distance stood a tree, it was the only other thing there. The sky was clear, it was a beautiful day; he knew because he had seen so few. He was never allowed to enjoy the wonders of the world. It wasn't important to him back then - he had more important things to do, he was brainwashed, afraid, he was lost. He realised now that life had so much to offer, no man (or voldemort) could ever offer more.

He slowly made his way to the tree. The field went on forever behind him and beyond the tree. He didn't know where he was or how he got there, but it was so peaceful and he'd enjoy it for now. As he got nearer he saw that it was massive. His arms wouldn't even make it halfway around the trunk. He sat down with his back against the trunk, he was content.

There was a soft sound coming from the other side of the tree. He stood and peeped around the trunk. There, on a swing, sat Hermione. Her head hung low as she moved the swing slightly with her feet. Lucius moved into her line of vision and she looked up. A brilliant smile spread across her face when she saw him. It was the type of smile she saved for her friends, never him. He tried to move forward, but his legs wouldn't move. He tried to reach out, but his arms were like lead at his sides. The light breeze disappeared, it was now a strong wind. He could see her struggling to stay on the swing, her smile was gone, replaced by a look of terror. Lucius couldn't move, he couldn't help her. She disappeared with the wind. The day wasn't so beautiful anymore. Everything about this place seemed sinister now. Dark clouds appeared in the sky, he knew a storm was coming. There, in the distance was a structure, a building perhaps. It wasn't there before, he was sure of that. He made his way towards it hoping to find shelter from the storm that was on its way. It was a little chapel. He entered it silently and sighed in relief, but his relief turned to shock. Hermione and Ron stood at the altar. She wore a beautiful flowing white gown, but she seemed so out of place. She looked beautiful, the dress looked beautiful; but together… to him it looked as if the dress belonged there at the altar, but she didn't. She wasn't supposed to be the one wearing that dress. She wasn't supposed to be there.

The scene before him faded out, leaving him in darkness. He was alone…

Lucius opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was in his, or rather Hermione's room. He was still in bed and she still slept on the couch. So he was dreaming? The house was still quiet, so everyone was still asleep. He wondered why he dreamed about her, he never did before. Was he worried about her? Well yes, maybe a little.

* * *

Hermione jumped out of bed. It was already early afternoon and she was still half asleep, but something woke her. A loud bang came from the kitchen, so she rushed downstairs in a panic. Death eaters? She hoped not. Their hideout was secure, not even voldemort could break through their barriers in his current state.

Ron stood in the middle of the kitchen with food all over himself as Hermione entered.

"Ron!" Hermione called. "What in Merlin's name are you doing, and where is everyone?"

"Oh, well, everyone's out doing stuff. You slept in so I thought I'd surprise you with lunch…" Ron replied sheepishly.

"Oh," Hermione said awkwardly, unsure of how to react. Normally she would have scolded him for making such a big mess, but she knew he was trying to do something nice for her. It was kind of sweet in a way, especially since it was Ron. "Well, let me help you clean up," she said and cleaned the kitchen with a wave of her wand.

"Thanks 'Mione," Ron smiled, he could sense the awkwardness and he knew it was because of his proposal. He didn't know why he had asked her, but he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life with her. She was a beautiful girl and very talented, AND she's been his friend since they were in first year.

Hermione backed out of the kitchen while Ron was lost in his thoughts. This whole marriage thing was too soon. She could tell Ron wasn't the one for her, but she might not live long enough to find Mr Right. But then again she didn't really have to get married at all to have a full life. This was all too troublesome. Why did Ron have to bring that up? Was he even thinking at the time?

* * *

Weeks passed with no information on voldemort's whereabouts and the order was running out of ideas. Lucius could help them; the dark mark on his forearm tingled regularly, but he still wasn't allowed out. Hermione moved back to Ginny's room again after realising how ridiculous she was being. She couldn't avoid Ron forever, especially since they were living under the same roof. That was what she had said, but she was still always cooped up in a room. He wondered why. She just had this look of wonder on her face one day and dashed out of the room and she had been researching ever since. No one knew what she was up to and no one dared to ask her after the first week. She had been so frustrated that she hexed Remus before he had even finished asking her. Her hair was always un-kept and she had dark circles under her eyes. She just looked like a flesh eating zombie ready to attack anyone who crossed her path. So Lucius hadn't spoken to her in weeks and he missed her. It was sad but true. He missed Hermione. All he could do was wait for her to finish what ever she was doing and then he'd be able to spend time with her again. He was lonely here at the order and she was the only one who kept him company; well, that's what he kept telling himself.

This was how it went. The order had no leads, but kept trying nonetheless; Hermione kept to herself, researching whatever it was she was researching; Harry was depressed because they weren't able to do anything and he was angry because they weren't able to do anything. Honestly, that boy needed a chill pill. Ron wasn't giving up trying to cook something for Hermione though, and that was always entertaining.

Lucius had a good feeling today. He couldn't explain it, but he had a feeling that something good was going to happen. He entered the kitchen for lunch, hoping that none of the Weasleys were in there yet. The twins always tried to prank him when he was nearby and the young girl always had that uncomfortable look on her face when she passed him. Honestly, these people were ridiculous sometimes. He sighed in relief when he found himself alone in the kitchen.

"Good afternoon, Mr Malfoy," Hermione said from behind. He turned around to see her standing at the door with a small smile on her face. She looked healthier than she did in the past few weeks so he assumed her research was done. "We're all having lunch in the meeting room, please join us."

"That's alright, Miss Granger," he said.

"Well, there's a reason why we're having lunch in the meeting room. We're having a meeting."

"Oh." Lucius wondered what they needed him for. This would be his first time attending one of the meetings.

It was the most uncomfortable he had felt since his stay here. The entire order (living members) was there and every pair of eyes were on him.

"Oi! So what's this big news you old people are so excited about?" George asked, breaking the silence.

Remus stood from his seat and gestured towards Hermione. "Hermione here has informed us that her research is complete."

Lucius sighed inwardly, he thought that maybe, just maybe he'd be given a special task by the order; something to prove his worth, but he guessed Hermione just didn't want him to feel left out. Oh well…

Remus turned to Lucius and then turned to the rest of the Order. The older members of the order all seemed to know what he was about to say. Hermione turned to Lucius and smiled the way she did in his dream.

"Hermione has developed a potion that could help us defeat voldemort-" Remus said, but was cut off.

"No, you misunderstand," Hermione said. "The potion will merely aid us in this war. It can't kill voldemort, but by using it we might be able to defeat him from the inside."

"Well, could you elaborate further?" Ginny demanded with a grin on her face.

"The potion will allow whoever drinks it to change into another person-" Hermione explained but was cut off by Ron.

"So you're talking about polyjuice potion," Ron interrupted.

"No," Hermione said calmly, but glaring at Ron. She hated it when people questioned her intelligence. "This potion's ingredients' are completely different and rather easy to come by. When combining the ingredients in the correct order and using the correct method - which will remain my little secret as a safety precaution - it will form a paste. A spoonful of the paste can be applied to any part of the body. That's the easy part. The difficult part is making it work. It requires a lot of magic and ten times the concentration. It's extremely difficult to do and even more difficult to keep up for weeks or months, or however long it takes. One mistake and it'll be all over. Now, to make it work you have to concentrate on the magic within you. You have to see it flowing inside of you. When you see it, distribute it to every part of your body equally and then force it out through your skin. When you do that without the potion you'll start glowing, but with the potion, the paste will spread over your body like a second skin. All you have to do by then is picture how you would like to look and your appearance will change accordingly. I've tested this on myself already. It works."

Everyone stared at her in amazement. They knew she was smart, but this? She couldn't be human, no one should know this much, especially not someone her age.

"I've decided that Mr Malfoy and I would be perfect for the job," Hermione said.

"I want to go," Harry said seriously.

"We're not going to walk in and strike him down, Harry. I'm really sorry, but you will let your personal feelings get in the way. You know that too, don't you? You'll forget about the plan and act irrationally. You'll become blinded by rage and put your partner in danger. Voldemort may be after you Harry, but this isn't about you. This is about all of us. This new mission is only to weaken the enemy from the inside. You'll have your turn," Hermione spoke seriously. It was extremely important for things to go according to plan. Harry didn't utter a word of protest. He was shocked to hear all of that come from Hermione. She would always follow him no matter where he led her. Ron and her were always by his side, but she was right. He had to step back for now.

"I've chosen Mr Malfoy because of his dark mark. With it we'll be able to follow voldemort's movements. Our first mission, become death eaters. All of you will also be helping out. It would be too risky for just one of you to keep changing your appearance so all of you will be taking turns in gathering information. I've modified the galleons we used in fifth year to communicate, so you'll know where to meet either one of us. Harry, I want you to remain in this house and practice your spells. I want you to become stronger. Luck might not be on our side this time, you need to be prepared. The rest of you will all be practicing with the potion. This mission can only start when you have mastered controlling it."

* * *

Finally! Well, that's chapter 4. I hope you all enjoyed reading it ^-^ please leave a review.


	6. Chapter 5

Hello, peoples _ so it's been forever since I've updated. I guess I've been lazy and busy. At the same time. The busy-ness made me lazy. And I meant to type it like that. Well, since it's been so long I'm hoping that my writing has improved, so this chapter might be confusing. Or not. Or I might be confusing myself. Anyway, if you notice any changes in this chapter; whatever they may or may not be, just know that it's for the best. And I apologise for any mistakes that may or may not occur, because I do have spell check, so I'll have no excuse. Haha, long author's note.

Oh, and I'm not sure if I killed Draco off or not. Either way, he's still around.

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter does not belong to me. I am poor.

**Chapter 5**

"Do you all understand?" Hermione asked after explaining the plan again. It had taken just over a month for the younger Order members to learn to control their new 'weapon'. The entire Order had finally succeeded in changing their appearances. Now they could move around freely without attracting any attention. It was like having a dozen Tonks' walking around… or however many they were, she really didn't care enough to count at that moment.

Hermione stepped out the door. Her hair was a jet black and fell past her shoulders in ringlets. Her eye colour was now a cool grey and her skin pale. She looked a few years older.

Lucius stepped next to her. His hair a honey-blonde now and his eyes green. He looked several years younger, his features less sharp.

They walked to the apparition point and vanished from sight. The mission had finally started.

Hermione had planned everything, but she had no idea how to become a death eater. She thought having Lucius as her partner would make things simpler, but she now realised that it wouldn't change much. Sure, he'd know where the dark lord was once he summoned all the death eaters, but he couldn't exactly waltz right in. The dark mark on his arm was completely covered by his second layer of skin and he wasn't supposed to be alive.

The best thing to do would be to offer valuable information or services indirectly first. Voldemort wouldn't trust anyone after his defeat, they'd have to earn it. It was all so much. Hermione was smart, but she couldn't make things go as planned. No one could do that.

She glanced at Lucius and wondered what he was thinking. Was he thinking about revenge? Was he thinking about Draco? They hadn't discussed it, but she knew that if Draco was alive their first priority would be to get him to the order as soon as possible. Draco was his only son and the only family he had.

"We'll check the Hog's Head first," Lucius said. "It's the best place for eavesdropping."

Hermione laughed inwardly at that, remembering the meeting they held there in fifth year in the hopes of not being overheard… that plan had failed.

They walked together in silence. Things were messed up. Voldemort wasn't looking to recruit after the battle at Hogwarts, everyone had already chosen their sides, because that was supposed to be the end of the war. All they could do was work from a distance, mingle with his followers and gather information. Hermione had warned everyone that changing their appearances too often was a bad idea and had limited them all to two disguises each. It wasn't that the potion couldn't handle it, she was just worried that they wouldn't be able to keep up with their own disguises and accidentally know something in a different body that they shouldn't.

Also, she had organised a mirror similar to the one Harry had shattered. Each team had one and were only able to communicate with one other team. It was so that if one team's cover was blown the other team would know and alert the rest, but if the mirror and the other team were to be discovered, the rest of the Order would still have their cover. Not everything was full-proof and mistakes would be made.

Hogsmeade was like a ghost town. The few people who were around were hurrying to their destinations, occasionally looking over their shoulders for any threats. There was a dark cloud over the once lively town.

"I think we should look around first," Hermione suggested. They were supposed to be new to the town, looking around first would be the obvious thing to do.

They took the long way around town, but still kept a brisk pace. There was something behind a tree. Hermione made a bee-line for the tree and Lucius reluctantly followed. As she neared, she noticed that it was a person slumped against the tree. It was a man covered in a dirty robe with his face partially covered by his hood. He was extremely thin and seemed to be asleep, but as she inched closer her foot made contact with a twig, snapping it. The man jumped up and looked around wildly with his wand pointed at nothing in particular. His hood slipped off and Hermione stepped back in surprise. There was no mistaking him, even in his half-starved and filthy state, the man who stood before her was Draco Malfoy.

Hermione immediately held out her hand to stop Lucius from approaching him.

"Who are you?" Hermione demanded. Her wand was pointed at his heart.

"Who wants to know?" Draco challenged. He no longer sounded like the Draco she knew from school.

Hermione looked him over. He looked rather pitiful and she would've laughed just because it was him, but it wasn't the time or place. He was a death eater and he could not be trusted.

"Would you like to join us for a drink? It's on me," Hermione asked, hoping he would accept. There were questions she needed to ask him.

"No thanks," Draco declined. The strangers didn't seem to recognise him, but he didn't trust anyone. This could be a trap to capture him and take him back to the Dark Lord.

"Please, I insist. You look like a starved puppy, I can't not offer you anything," Hermione smiled gently at him. She needed answers, but she wanted to help him too.

Draco hesitated before agreeing to accompany them. He was starving. He'd be dead by the end of the week if he didn't get something into his stomach. He was on the run, even the little money he had on his person wasn't good enough. If the wrong people were to recognise him he'd be sent back and most definitely be killed, but this was worth the risk. If these strangers hadn't woken him he'd have probably died in his sleep. So, he put his hood back into place and followed them to the Hog's Head.

…...

Heh heh, well that's the end of chapter 5. I'm really sorry for making you guys wait this long.

Please leave a review and suggestions are also welcome


End file.
